The Big 3

Life man. It zooms by us at a dizzying pace and picks up speed the older we get. Amidst the backdrop of a global pandemic, rising tensions between multiple countries, crazy inflation and an ever-decreasing feeling of unity in these “United” States, we live in an age of constant uncertainty. It’s in times like these that being able to find our center becomes more important than ever.

We’re all different of course but when it comes to feeling centered, I believe there are 3 universal needs we share that make the foundation:

LOVE

LAUGHTER

HOPE

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Love – where would any of us be without it? Giving and receiving love has gotta be THE single best gift this life affords us. Whether it’s the kind found in a deep, committed relationship, the immense love we feel for our children, our parents (if we’re lucky enough to still have them), siblings or extended family and friends, the old familiar saying is true: “Love makes the world go ’round.” In a time where hate seems to be spreading like wildfire, having love in our hearts is a safe harbor we can turn to time and time again. Knowing there are people who love us, always want the best for us and would do anything for us is absolute gold. And one of the coolest things about love is the byproduct effect – the more we give of ourselves and actively love others, the easier it becomes to take our minds off our own calamities.

When it comes to feeling centered, Love is at the center of it all.

Laughter just so happens to be one of life’s greatest gifts too and it doesn’t cost a dime. When the daily headlines are anything but amusing, being able to find humor in the day-to-day madness is the bestest. It’s a highly underrated form of self-care really, and for my money there’s nothing like a good belly laugh (or even a slight chuckle) to help the mindset. Feeling down? Watch one of your favorite comedy shows or some stand-up. Get out for a drink with a funny friend. Even when we’re smack in the middle of a stressful workday, we can simply think of a funny joke or past hilarious experience to help us hit the reset button. Of course, laughing – in and of itself – won’t make our challenges go away, but it will sure help us be in a better place to take ’em on.

Hope. How important is it to have? It’s hard to quantify until the day comes when it’s gone. In fact, of the “Big 3” this last one might be the most important of all. There are people in life who have endured far more than you or I, yet persevered to overcome incredible odds. Take Nelson Mandela for example, a man who was wrongly imprisoned for a whopping 27 years. During that time it would’ve been easy for him to completely give up. He probably figured he’d die in prison, and even if he thought he might get out eventually, it would’ve been reaaal easy for him to be so bitter and want so much revenge that it could’ve killed him from the inside out. Not only did he not lose hope, he was eventually released after more than a quarter century and immediately started building bridges with people in order to inspire hope in them! Incredible. Amazeballs. And a thousand other adjectives too.

Whatever helps you to find your center, I’m convinced it’s more important than ever for us to dwell there on the daily. Yes, the world will still be insane. People will still be crazy and do horrific things. Plagues and economies might crumble us at any minute and for all we know, aliens and Bigfoot are planning a global takeover.

That’s okay. We aren’t completely powerless.

We can love, laugh, and hope our way through it all.